Thursday, July 31, 2008

Maoist leaders are busy in internal discussion on how to win the confidence of the parties for a Maoist-led government.

The meeting of the party's central committee (CC), which began today, discussed a proposal presented by party chairman Prachanda'. Prachanda's proposal says the party should take the leadership of the next government by bringing all the parties in the Constituent Assembly into confidence.

The CC meeting will resume tomorrow as a number of central members including some senior leaders are yet to comment on Prachanda's proposal. Maoist leader Barshaman Pun 'Ananta' said the meeting is focused on devising the agendas for garnering broad political support for the next government.

A meeting of the central secretariat, the apex body of the party, which was held after the party chairman's meeting with the President on Wednesday, had decided to take initiatives for a unity government.

The Maoist district leaders of Rolpa have advised the party leadership to conduct a thorough review of the presidential election and the party's ongoing efforts to form a new government.

They have also said that the party should start a serious discussion on its failure to build a working unity with other leftist forces of the country. Likewise, they were also of the opinion that there should be discussion among the party activists on whether the party should form the government or not in the present scenario, while warning against the meaninglessness of forming the government against the spirit of the people's insurgency.

"If the wishes and aspiration of the people can't be fulfilled then going to the government has no meaning," Maoist district leader Rishiram Rokka told Kantipur Daily, adding, "there needs to be thorough discussion on whether the party should take initiative to form the government or not."

Most Maoist activists from the district had died during the decade long people's insurgency

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

The last question which the Indian journalists had asked CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda went like this, "Some Indian journalists wrote in their articles that your personality stands out when you are referred to as "Prachanda" instead of "Pushpa Kamal Dahal", what do you personally feel? Responding to this last question, he said that he liked being called "Prachanda." But Prachanda also gave the reasons for his answer. "The name Prachanda encompasses the entire Nepal, all classes, castes, regions and gender. Some aura of tradition comes from the name `Pushpa Kamal Dahal' like it comes form Girija Prasad Koirala and Madhav Kumar Nepal.

Hence I like the name `Prachanda' not because of its established meaning but because I wish to move towards progress. Some people these days have stopped using my nom de guere `Prachanda' and I feel that this is very reactionary, but I do not know its underlying meaning, why are they doing so? The following is the excerpts of the interview taken by Vijay Chalise, editor of Gorkhapatra with Prachanda:

Some national and international status quoist forces seem to be bent on stopping the `left' parties, especially the CPN-Maoist from forming the government, and under the same maneuverings there are moves being made to appoint Girija Prasad Koirala as the Prime Minister once again. In the given situation, till when will the next government be formed?

Some forces from within and outside the country having reactionary and status quoist tendencies are not still happy with the outcome of the Constituent Assembly elections. The people voted overwhelmingly for the CPN-Maoist, a force that has always stood by forward looking change, which the status quoist forces have failed to reconcile with. Hence different kinds of conspiracies are being hatched not to allow the CPN-Maoist form the government. Had some other party, excluding the Maoists emerged as the largest party in the CA then the government would have been formed within a week. The Nepalese at large well know this reality. Presently efforts are underway to keep the status quoist in power both from within and outside the country. If attempts are made to retain the old faces in the government then it will not be acceptable. The next government should be formed as per the aspirations of the popular will, if something else is tried then it would only invite an accident. But the Nepalese will ultimately emerge victorious. The next government will be of the Maoists as mandated by the people.

The politics of consensus that went strong for three years has come to an end following the presidential elections and the political game of the majority has started. Does any possibility of the Maoists leading the next government remain in such a situation?

Politics of consensus virtually ended after the amendment of the interim constitution. As far as the formation of government in the leadership of the Maoist is concerned, it is not true that its possibility has ended. The majority can side with the Maoists from some quarters. The meeting of the 25 parties was held some days ago. Those who voted for the other side voiced at the meeting that they were no more in that alliance. As around twenty to twenty one parties have echoed their voice that the next government has to be formed under the leadership of the Maoists, there are ample grounds for it to lead the next government with the support of the majority.

You mentioned that 20 to 21 parties were in support of the Maoists. Going by the mindset of the other parties in the past days, does it look likely that they would allow the Maoist to prove majority?

This is as one can understand a game. Our party has been assessing the past parliamentary politics as an anti-national, anti-social and dirty game. This is the reason why we made it clear that we had been morally pushed to the opposition following the presidential elections. We hence frankly admitted that we did not have any stakes in forming the next government. This has given the message that we are different compared to other political parties. We tried to convey the message that the norms and values of the CPN-Maoist are different than the other parties. But if we have to play a similar game of dirty politics, we will not join the government but will remain in the opposition.

Won't your decision to remain in the opposition shadow the mandate of the CA and won't it obstruct the constitution drafting process?

There are two parts of the CA. First is the process of drafting a new constitution and the second is the legislature that should look into the day to day running of the government. The CA does not have ruling and opposition parties. The process of drafting a new constitution always moves ahead in the CA. All parties have equal role and responsibility to draft the constitution. Whenever the legislature parliament meets, only then will the House have the opposition and the ruling parties. Hence I do not feel that our decision to remain in the opposition would adversely affect the constitution drafting process.

Although the CA has to facets, won't the political wrangling in the legislature parliament have an impact in the constitution drafting process?

Just because any party decides to sit in the opposition in the legislature parliament one should not have the notion that it would affect the constitution drafting process. But the reality is such that if the government is not formed as per the popular mandate of the people, then the constitution drafting process could witness hitches and even be impeded because of the political disputes among the parties in the legislature parliament. Some form of mental state would certainly surface when the Maoist choose to remain in the opposition. Since the CPN-Maoist is the largest party in the CA, the constitution cannot be drafted without its active participation, what should we call this, can this be described as the positive strength of the Maoists? This is a big issue. There has to be two thirds majority to pass each Article of the Constitution, the backing of the Maoists is needed even to include the commas and full stops in the Constitution. Hence the Constitution cannot be drafted without the support of the Maoists. All this clearly reveals that those who have the impression that they should sideline the Maoists at the moment are inviting conflict in the nation.

One breed of politicians has been terming the Maoists preparations to lead the next government as "totalitarianism. " They have been claiming that they had to cobble together a new alliance to teach the Maoists a lesson. How have you been looking at such maneuverings?

When the Nepalese fought for their rights in the yesteryears, they were dubbed as terrorists. Those who wiped out tens of thousand of people are here with us today. We joined the peace process, contested the elections and became the largest party by getting overwhelming support of the people. If attempts are made to dub us as totalitarians at this juncture then those who make such charges give out the odour of the despotic rulers and reactionaries of yesterday. It all appears that those who had consolidated their position by appeasing the ousted monarch have been trying to put on his cloak. Although the then monarch had to march out, his henchmen are trying to behave like him which will not be tolerable to the people. The CPN-Maoist waged a struggle for the last three months not to become a totalitarian force but to uphold the people's mandate. The CPN-Maoist is a party that believes in politics based on norms and values. Those who have been dubbing the Maoists as "totalitarians" are out to push the nation into a grave crisis.

You have mentioned that you would only join the government if the other parties concede to your three pre-conditions, but the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML) have been declining to abide by them, how can we expect to have consensus politics in this situation?

The conditions we put forward ought to be understood this way. We called the meeting of the 25 parties. Of them nearly 20 to 21 parties voiced that the Maoist should lead the next government. It was only after this that the Maoists put forward the three pre-conditions in order to move ahead in a different way amidst the changed political situation. The political situation has changed after the presidential elections. Thus we asked the three parties to clarify whether their coalition was only for the elections or would it also go further ahead. If it is such that their alliance was forged to take ahead, then the situation would be such that the Maoist will have to remain in the opposition. We did not mean to instruct the three parties to dissolve the alliance. All we told them was that they should clarify the nature of the alliance. If they want us to form the government then our programmes and policies for the next two years should be reflected in the commitment paper to be signed by the other parties that wish to join the Maoist led coalition.

There has been some reshuffling in the structure of the ruling coalition in India, and the Indian communists have withdrawn the support they had extended to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It is said that the new coalition in India does not want the Maoist to rise to power? Is it that the political parties in Nepal are obstructing the Maoists from assuming power with the motive of fulfilling India's interest?

I do not feel that just because the communist withdrew their support to the government, there would be a total shift in India's foreign policy. Irrespective of whichever party has come to power in India, be it Congress-I or BJP, stability in its foreign policy has already started showing. The thing is that Nepalese politics has always been guided by Indian interest and maneuvering. Some political parties chart out their policies according to the wishes of India. This is not a new phenomenon but something which has been there since a long time. The Indian establishment has helped the parties in Nepal to put the 12 point agreement in place and accordingly backed the efforts of the parties to hold the elections to the CA and move ahead in the peace process. Hence I do not feel that the peace process would be derailed this soon. But the manner in which the CPN-Maoist came up with its plans and policies on the issues of nationalism and loktantra, they must have somehow doubted whether our party could move ahead in its own way. Hence the four month long lingering that has been taking place on whether the Maoists should form the government is not because of the Nepali Congress, the CPN (UML) or India only. There is a subtle difference between the class opinion and political opinion between the Maoists and the foreigners. It is because of this difference that they have been weighing what they need to do if the Maoists were to be allowed to form the government. But I would like to make it clear that the CPN-Maoist does not move ahead at the instruction of any foreign power. Our strength is the people of Nepal and we will always uphold their aspirations.

Integrity of the Nepali people is the main agenda of the Maoist. We will not forge any alliance with any force by subsiding this.

The left parties enjoy almost two-thirds majority in the Constituent Assembly, but the power always seems to be under the control of reactionary and rightist forces. As a leading communist party, why has CPN (Maoist) not been able to take them into confidence?

There should be dominance of the left parties in all the matters, including the formation of government and selection of leadership. Before the CA elections, we painstakingly worked for moving ahead by forging unity among the left parties. We made the same efforts even after the elections. But, an anomaly is that we, the communist forces, failed to be united during the presidential elections. Analysts and readers should understand what positive and negative aspects were there during the presidential elections. All the leftist forces are not communists in behaviour. Some leftists have carried out anti-national activities. When the street movement was going on, some so-called leftist forces joined the royal government by saying that there was no more regression. Other leftists said the regression was partly corrected. Many people have misconception that all the leftist forces are equal. We need to alert the Nepali people against such misconceptions. Under the guise of leftists, there are ultra-rights. Why did they reject our call to forge unity among the leftist forces before the elections? Who showed the foolishness in believing that the valley was under their control in the elections? Following the elections, why was our effort to forge working unity among the leftists for electing the president and forming a new government dampened? Why they forged alliance with the rightist and ultra-rightist forces will clearly show who they are. So, we should understand the definition of communism and know the real communists.

Despite the election of the president on a majority voting system, there was consensus among the political parties in the election of the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly. Does this indicate that the parties have realised that there is no alternative to consensual system?

I do not think that the parties have fully realised this. There would have been consensus in the elections of the President and Vice-President had there not been any debate regarding the candidates. Because of the candidate's personality, there was consensus in the election of the Chairman. This has indicated that there can be political consensus on specific issues if all the parties realise that country is in need of it.

It is said that Nepal's politics is influenced by foreign pressure. Does the President's election prove this?

It has widely been felt that there has been foreign interference in Nepal's internal politics. In the later phase, the interference has increased fast. There was foreign interference behind the delay in the formation of the new government and the way the election of the President was held. Leaders of some political parties have the tendency of pleasing foreigners. The thought of reaching a consensus just for electing Girija Prasad Koirala as the President from the Nepali Congress or making Madhav Kumar Nepal the President from the CPN (UML) is not a Nepali thought. It is also neither the thought of the NC nor the UML. Anybody having common sense cannot have such a thought. When we proposed Ram Raja Prasad Singh as the presidential candidate, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav and Ramprit Paswan were declared the candidates overnight. We had been holding consecutive dialogues with the UML. We asked them to give the candidacy of a Dalit, somebody from the ethnic or indigenous community, Madhesi or a woman instead of Nepal to make the post inclusive. Had the UML proposed the name of Paswan at the very outset, we would have easily agreed. But why didn't the UML propose his candidacy in the beginning, this is something to look into. Now I doubt whether Nepal's name was proposed at the behest of foreign powers. What stopped the UML from proposing Sahana Pradhan's name to which we had given a nod earlier.

The 15th SAARC Summit is taking place in some days and there aren't any possibilities of changing the caretaker government. It was only on Saturday that it was made public that caretaker Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is representing Nepal in the Summit? What are your comments?

It is a fact that a conspiracy is being hatched to prevent the new Maoist led government to take part in the SAARC Summit. Had the Maoist led government participated in the SAARC, then the address of the PM would certainly deviate from tradition and would be entirely different. I had regular meetings with the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Nepal and the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister. They extended their invitation to me to participate in the Summit and even asked for my photograph, but I could not give my photograph, as it was not clear whether the political standoff would fizzle out. I had however prepared my address, which was quite different and encompassed the burning issues of Nepal. I feel that I was stopped from heading the new government and participating in the Summit as it was feared that a new message would be disseminated to the world through my address.

KATHMANDU, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has claimed that there was still a strong possibility of it leading the next government, local newspaper TheRising Nepal reported on Sunday.

Earlier, with its presidential candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh being defeated by Dr. Ram Baran Yadav who was backed by the alliance of Nepali Congress (NC), the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) and Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF), it had no moral authority to form the next government.

In an exclusive interview with the newspaper, CPN-M chairman Prachanda said the CPN-M could form the next government by provinga majority in the 601-member Constituent Assembly. "More than 20 parties in the Constituent Assembly (CA) out of 25 hold the view that we should lead the next government, hence there is still a strong possibility of a government led by CPN-M."

The parties that assisted the three-party alliance during the presidential election now want CPN-M to lead the next government, said Prachanda. "With this, the possibility of our party forming the next government cannot be totally ruled out."

Chairman Prachanda said that he had held consultations with thenewly-elected president in regard to forming the new government. President Yadav had invited the CPN-M leaders Friday evening to discuss the prospects of forming the next government as the largest party in the CA. He said President Yadav had asked his party to give continuity to its initiatives to form a consensus government.

"The people have established the CPN-M, a revolutionary party, as the largest party in the CA; the reactionary and status quoist forces, however, are not ready to accept this and are effortful tobar it from ascending to helm of the power," Prachanda said. "If any other party had won as many seats as we had, a new government would be in place just within a week. But the CPN-M has been barred out of government for almost four months. This is a serious disregard of people's mandate."

"Those who labeled us as terrorists when we were fighting for people's rights are now up with a fallacious argument that we will turn authoritarian once in power so that they can continue conflict and violence and go on exploiting the nation," said Prachanda.

Stating that foreign interference had heightened in the recent times, Prachanda said the inordinate delay in the formation of the government and the method chosen for the election of president gave the foreign elements a space to interfere.

Prachanda said it was because of his party that the country finally elected a president from the Madhesi community. "One after another, our agendas of constituent assembly, republican state, presidential system and federalism are being implemented. The political agendas belong to the CPN-M but the leadership is traditional; everybody should remain alert to prevent the prolongation of this situation."

After April 10 elections, the Constituent Assembly of Nepal on May 28 declared the country a federal democratic republic.

Democracy and Class Struggle says the change of mind by the CPN Maoist leadership to lead the Government according to Chairman Prachanda is due to

"There is a growing threat against nationalism and there is a need for maintaining social harmony, that's why the Maoists are joining the government"

"We are now ready to form the government as the parties in the alliance including the UML and the MPRF have categorically urged us to do so," he added.

However the key point is outlined in recent Editorial in the CPN Maoist Red Star

"The people will understand it is not correct for the Maoist to join a government if nothing can be done to serve the people"

If joining the Government helps reduce ethnic tensions the Nepalese people will understand - but the minimum programme of the Maoists also needs to be implemented through the Constituent Assembly with the President and Vice President already showing inclinations to exceed their Constitutional authority and constituting roadblocks to social progress.

The CPN Maoist leadership is the best judge of the strategy and tactics on the ground in Nepal but the fear of its friends is that it will be able to do very little in Government and become trapped in bourgeois politics - providing its enemies with a chance of discrediting and demoralisng the Peoples Movement.

We hope our fears are not realised and that the CPN Maoist has taken the right decision.

The Maoists are preparing to present their proposal on formation of new government at the meeting with 24 parties, Tuesday.

According to reports, the Maoists are preparing such proposal in line with the discussions it held with the parties on Monday.

Even though the Maoists had, a week ago in the aftermath of their presidential polls debacle, stated that they won’t form the government, the party has now started taking the initiative to lead the government.

“We are taking the initiative as most of the parties have urged us to lead the new government,” said Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara

During the meeting organised by Maoist party at its parliamentary office in Singha Durbar to mainly discuss the formation of new government, the issue of Nepal's participation in the SAARC summit and the episode of Vice President taking oath in Hindi also cropped up.

Majority of the political parties in the meeting were of the opinion that a delegation led by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala whose resignation has already been approved by the President should not be sent to the SAARC summit.

Instead, they suggested that newly elected President Ram Baran Yadav represent Nepal in the 15th SAARC summit to be held in Srilankan capital of Colombo Aug 2-3. On the VP swearing issue, Maoist Chairman Prachanda' was of the opinion that there should be an intellectual debate on the issue and called on all to be careful not to let the episode tarnish the communal harmony.

Talking to media persons after the meeting, the Maoist chairman also assured that his party would work towards forming the next government and would also table a proposal for the government formation in tomorrow's meeting.

A senior Maoist leader has said that the current government led by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala cannot attend the South Asian Association for Regional

"This government has already lost its stature. It is, in effect, a lame duck government," said Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai.

Speaking at the Constituent Assembly (CA) meeting, Sunday, Bhattarai further said, "This lame duck government cannot attend an important conference like SAARC where important agreements will have to be signed."

Dr. Bhattarai said the new government must be formed before the SAARC Summit.

The 15th SAARC Summit is beginning later this week in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A few days ago, Foreign Secretary Gyan Chandra Acharya had said that in case new government is not formed by then, the current caretaker Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala will lead Nepali delegation at the summit.

The SAARC has eight member states including Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Afghanistan

Talking to journalists at the Biratnagar airport Sunday morning, Maoist leader Dev Gurung said, "The post of President is ceremonial but he is showing activism to form the new government.an act which is against the constitution."

He criticised the newly elected President of not even notifying the Constituent Assembly -- which is also acting as the parliament -- of the Prime Minister's resignation even though so many days have passed.

"The parliament is entitled to form the government but it seems that the President himself is engaged in the process of forming one," he said, adding that although the people have given the mandate to his party to form the next government but few foreign power centers are working in close tandem to foil this.

He claimed that on the direction of these very foreign power centers that Vice President Parmananda Jha took his oath in Hindi.

The rightist alliance of NC, UML and MJF has put the future of PLA in question. Recently, a Congress leader said: ‘Considering the mutinies in the armed police barracks, the integration of the PLA into the National army will be a disaster.

From the beginning, the parliamentary parties have been giving excuse after excuse so as to not integrate the PLA into national army. The rightist alliance wants to liquidate the PLA and derail the peace process. In the PLA cantonments, there is always a lack of basic infrastructure- water, electricity, and buildings.

For the last three months, PLA soldiers have not received the rations and basic wages that they were promised and to which they are entitled. Endemic diseases are spreading but there are not adequate medical facilities. Conditions in the cantonments are getting worse everyday. By creating harsh conditions in the cantonment, the government is trying to cause disenchantment and frustration among the PLA soldiers.

The reactionaries want the PLA to disintegrate by itself. National and international reactionaries are trying to stop the Maoist from forming a government. When the rightist alliance government is in place, they will formulate ways to get rid of the PLA. If they try to get rid of the PLA, there will be resistance that may lead to civil war. The PLA will have no choice but take up arms again.

Maoist chairman Prachanda’ has warned that his party would launch nationwide agitation if Girija Prasad Koirala becomes prime minister, again.

Prachanda Speaking at a programme organised by Muslim Mukti Morcha in the capital, Saturday, Prachanda claimed ‘foreign forces’ were plotting to make Koirala PM again.

“Domestic and foreign forces are conspiring to make Koirala prime minister. If that happens, that will be against the people’s mandate. We will bring people in the streets against such move,” said Prachanda,

He added that his party can easily topple what he called ‘petty Kings’ in reference to Koirala.

Prachanda also ruled out any possibility of Maoists returning to jungle. “Petty Kings are making every effort to block Maoists from climbing to power. If this effort continues we will push the petty Kings into the jungle instead,” he said.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Two and half years ago, on November 2006, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and seven parliamentary parties reached a 12-point understanding; an agreement to end the monarchy and establish a republic in Nepal through the election of a Constituent Assembly. This understanding ended the monarchy and a Federal Democratic Republic was established; the historic CA election of 10 April 2008 elected the Maoist as the single largest party of Nepal.

There was a nationwide expectation among the Nepalese that the Maoist Party will form the government. Even the parliamentary parties themselves recognised the situation, although the CPN (Maoist) didn’t have a majority to form the government alone.

Since the Maoist emerged as the largest party through the CA election too, the parliamentary parties began to plot conspiracies to stop the Maoist taking power. En line to this attitude, the two third provisions to remove the Prime Minister was changed; Maoist was forced to abandon the President betting this post against monarchy.

Having done that, the parliamentary parties wanted to dissolve the PLA, abandon progressive land reforms and the restructure of Nepalese society. Finally UML broke away from the understanding of forming a government with the Maoist, and a coalition was formed between the NC, UML and MJF. This was an undemocratic, unnatural and vengeful action against the Maoist.

However, the first President of Nepal is from an oppressed nation, a Madhesi. This was possible because of Maoist policies and politics. Again, it is interesting point that the CPN UML and the CPN Masal, so-called leftist parties, lined-up with the Congress. It is an expression of the political degeneration of these parties to the level of parliamentary cretinism.

Nevertheless, this is a potent example of how class polarisation is manifested at this critical juncture of history. Although they are different by name, the NC, UML, Masal and MJF are feudal and bureaucratic capitalists. They stand against the Maoist because it has been historically impossible to write one constitution that is suitable for two classes.

The people will understand it is not correct for the Maoist to join a government if nothing can be done to serve the people. The Maoist should form a united front with revolutionary, progressive and patriotic forces against the reactionaries, opportunists, and the forces of the status quo that want to drag Nepal backwards.

Democracy and Class Struggle says the Common Programme of the CPN Maoist the minimum programme for democratic progress in Nepal appears to be rejected by the "Unholy Alliance".

It is now time for the People to take command again through the mass movement and not let the democratic momentum subside.

It is time for protacted exposure of the Nepali Congress, UML, MJF Alliance at the political level. They must be confronted with the Peoples Mandate for change.

The CPN Maoist is not a Guesdeist* Party with absolute rejection of participation in Constitutional politics but neither is it a party trapped by bourgeois politics.It has broken the mould of Nepalese politics before - now it needs to do it again.

Friday, July 25, 2008

The NC leader Dr. Minendra Rijal speaking at the program summarily rejected the Maoists’ preconditions.

“The NC-UML-MJF has formed a democratic alliance which will continue to thrive until the constitution making process is complete”, is what Dr. Rijal said.

“However, if the Maoists want to join our alliance, we will accept them with open hearts”, Rijal added apparently cutting a joke at the Maoists.

Comrade Prachanda later talking to the reporters predicted that if the newly formed unholy alliance between the NC-UML and the MJF does not come to an end, it may invite a greater conflict in the country.

“There is no way we will join the unholy alliance”, Prachanda made his party’s stance clear.

Hridayesh Tripathi, a senior Madhesi leader maintained that the Maoists as the largest party in the Constituent Assembly must be allowed to form the next government.

Mr. Tripathi also demanded that the NC-UML and the MJF alliance be dissolved at the earliest.

Mr. Tripathi is one of the prominent leader of the Terai Loktantrik Madhes Party which recently voted Ram Raja Prasad Singh-the Maoists candidate for the post of the President.

Senior UML leader K.P Sharma Oli has said the alliance of Nepal Congress (NC), UML and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) will remain intact, and hinted that the UML was going to stake its claim for government's leadership if the three-party combine moved on to form the new government.

"The three-party alliance will not break at any cost. All 25 parties should come together to write the new constitution," Oli said.

Speaking at the Reporters Club in the capital Thursday, Oli, who is said to have played an active role in forming the alliance of the three parties, ruled out the possibility of the Maoists leading the new government.

Saying that the party taking the leadership of the upcoming government must be ready to give powerful portfolios to the allies, Oli insisted that next government should be led by UML general secretary Jhala Nath Khanal.

"Our party is ready to take government's leadership and is capable of doing so. Our general secretary should be made Prime Minister."

The outspoken UML leader even went on to say that his party was ready to share some important portfolios with the Maoists if the latter agreed to join the government under the UML.

However, three is no possibility of exclusive alliance between the UML and the Maoists, he declared, adding that the NC-UML-MJF alliance was not targeted against any particular party.

The newly elected president Ram Baran Yadav was expected to invite the CPN-Maoist to form the new government soon after taking office after a swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday.

"Our all efforts to make a new government in the past three and half months have been over said Chairman Prachanda. Now in accordance to the new equation we gladly accept the place of opposition in Nepali politics," Prachanda said, requesting the new president to call on the new alliance to make the new government.

"We will determine our support or oppose the new government on the basis of their qualities or misdemeanor," he added.

The CPN-Maoist Chairman also said that there was "a great danger of the counter revolution to make Nepal a failed state."

"There is a big reactionary conspiracy of foreign powers after we won the faith and belief of people. Nepal's politics has clearly signified a great danger of counter -revolution," Prachanda said, appealing the people to be united against the conspiracies of foreign powers whom he didn't want to name.

He also criticized the new government for stopping the allowance to the CPN-Maoist armed force sitting inside the monitored cantonments and warned that if the present situation continues, patience and tolerance will soon run out.

However, the CPN-M chairman recalled that his party was fully committed to the ongoing peace process and ready to implement the accords done with the previous government.

Democracy and Class Struggle says the decision of the CPN Maoist not to form Government given the new Anti Maoist Alliance of the CP UML, Nepali Congress and MJF reflects the new realities in Nepal where the counter revolutionary forces in Nepal have re-grouped.

The siren call of the Nepali Congress for CPN Maoist to form government is nothing but a rope for the CPN Maoist to hang itself with.

Arjun Narsingh of the Nepali Congress says.

"We still believe and want the Maoists to form and lead the new government. That was our earlier decision and we stick by it," Narsingh said. "We will not be an obstacle for them in this matter."

The CPN Maoist rightly ignores such siren calls and should concentrate on exposing the new alliance of the bankrupt parties and their new government to build on its popular support registered in the Elections.

The CPN Maoist Programme cannot be implemented under current politicalconditions of the new President and Vice President.

Therefore exposing the opportunists of the CP UML and Nepali Congress and MJF is the task of the hour so that the CPN Maoist can sweep the remainder of the CP UML, the Nepali Congress and their new found Madhesi partner the MJF from electoral office over the days,months and if necessary years.

The People of Nepal want democratic change but the "Unholy" Alliance does not.

The political landscape in Nepal has changed and the CPN Maoist has to adjust its strategy and tactics to fit that terrain

CPN (Maoist) chairman Prachanda has claimed that foreign reactionary forces are acting behind the current political twist in Nepal politics, which could pose threat to national sovereignty and integrity.

In a press meet organised at its CPN-M's CA party office in Singha Durbar to publicise the decision taken by the party Tuesday morning, Prachanda said the new coalition of Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum is continuation of the political game being practiced during the 90s.

He further said the NC-UML-MJF coalition would push the nation into grave internal conflict thereby giving opportunity to foreigners to take its advantage.

Informing that the current government has stopped releasing the budget for People's Liberation Army (PLA), Prachanda warned the situation would turn volatile if it continued to violate the past agreements.

According to him, reactionary forces had been trying since the Constituent Assembly polls to stop the Maoists from taking over the leadership of new government.

Amendment of the constitution empowering the parties to change the government with simple majority vote, demanding for dismantling of the PLA and delaying formation of new government were some of the instances he cited to substantiate his claims.

The Maoist Chairman also revealed that his party had received pressure from New Delhi to accept Girija Prasad Koirala as the president of the country. Responding to a query from journalists, he denied infiltration of Indian spies into his party, but said all parties in Nepal have contacts and relations with Indian agents, and his party is not an exception.

He also stressed on the need for unity among all communists, pro-republic forces and ethnic groups for safeguarding the national sovereignty and integrity

A day after their presidential candidate lost the election at the hands of a candidate fielded jointly by Nepali Congress (NC), Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), the Maoists have formally decided that they will now stay away from the process of forming new government.

Although widely expected to lead the new government being the largest party – although without majority – in the Constituent Assembly (CA),

According to reports, the meeting of the central secretariat meeting, Tuesday, decided that since the three-party alliance is in majority, they cannot form the government.

"We have felt that amid the latest environment in the face of alliance of the three parties, we cannot be forming the government," Post Bahadur Bogati, a senior Maoist leader, told Nepal FM.

"We will play the role of constructive opposition. We will also constructively help in constitution-making," he said.

On the issue of electing the chairman and deputy chairman of Constituent Assembly, the party has said that they should be elected on the basis of understanding.

The party is holding a press meet in the afternoon to make their decisions public.

Maoist leaders have said they won't join the next government as their presidential candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh has lost the election.

Talking to reporters after the results of the presidential run-off were out unofficially, Maoist central secretariat member C.P. Gajurel said his party would remain in the opposition and focus on constitution-making. He also insisted that the new alliance (of Nepali Congress, UML and Madhesi Janahikar Forum) is "unholy and unnatural".

Another Maoist leader Suresh Ale Magar also said the CPN-M would play the role of an opposition in the Constituent Assembly. Terming the new alliance as odd, Ale Magar however said the Maoists had accepted the results of the presidential election. "It is just usual that you either win or lose in the election. We accept the results normally," he said.

Senior Maoist leader Mohan Baidya had yesterday said the party would not join the government if Singh lost the presidential election.

Sources said that the Maoist central secretariat meeting this morning decided to stay out of the government in the event that Singh lost, but there was no official announcement regarding this decision.

A new alliance of Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum will be counterproductive as it was formed to prevent Maoists from forming the government, Maoist leader Babu Ram Bhattarai said, according to Nepalnews.com.

Maoist Chairman Prachanda, said the CPN (M) may not join the government. ``Most probably we will not join the government if our candidate loses the presidential post,'' the Maoist leader told reporters before the ballot, according to Agence France-Presse.

Yadav's victory means that even if the CPN Maoist form a government, they may find themselves with little chance of implementing key pledges like land reform and face the constant risk of being toppled by rivals, AFP said.

Nepali Congress (NC) candidate Dr Ram Baran Yadav has become the first president of republic Nepal, securing a comfortable majority in the presidential run-off held today. This is yet to be announced officially.

Yadav bagged 308 votes while his rival Ram Raja Prasad Singh, who was backed by the Maoists, ended up with 282 votes, sources at the election office of the Constituent Assembly Secretariat said.

The results of the presidential election will be announced at the CA meeting at 4:00 pm today.

The re-election was conducted as none of the candidates reached the magic number, 298, in Saturday's election. However, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum candaite Parmananda Jha was elected vice president in the previous voting.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress cadres are carrying out victory rally in front of the International Convention Centre in Naya Baneshwor.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

A senior Maoist leader has said he sees big obstacles in the peace process due to the sudden evolution of an alliance among Nepali Congress (NC), Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF).

“Clearly this is an unholy and apolitical alliance. People who had said there is no Madhes within Nepal and those who talk about two-nation theory are in an unholy alliance. This will certainly complicate the peace process,” said Chandra Prakash Gajurel aka Gaurav.

Gajurel categorically stated that his party will stay in opposition if their presidential candidate loses the election on Monday.

“There will be no way we can join the government. We will play the role of opposition within constitutional parameters,” said Gajurel.

He also feared difficulties in the constitution-making processes in the coming days. “Situation is such that they cannot make constitution without forging wider understanding,” he said.

The First Great Victory of the International Communist Movement in the XXI Century, in La Voce, n.28, July 2008, pp. 8-11.

We see refusals, hesitations and doubts in saluting and celebrating Nepali democratic revolution also among parties and groups, within circles and by people who call themselves Communists (and maybe they personally and honestly believe to be and try to be like that). Why so? According to the cases, it mainly depends on one or the other of there three reasons, that sometimes combine.

1. After the defeats the communist movement suffered in last 40 years, many communists and other generous people are demoralized and lost their trust in the possibility to establish socialism. The first socialist countries collapsed. Many communist parties degenerated until they vanished or changed their nature. In one way or another, imperialists corrupted or won many successful revolutions ( South Africa , Nicaragua , etc.). Actually, all these defeats were not fated, nor due mainly to imperialists and reactionaries' force.

They were due to the limits of the communists themselves, as we were not able to understand the current social movement sufficiently well, as the conscious and organized movement was not intellectually and morally able to develop a line of action corresponding to the concrete conditions. Those ones who does not yet understand the real reasons of the defeats the communist movement suffered in the second half of the last century, necessarily are still astonished by the defeats and suffers the effects of bourgeois and clerical propaganda that exaggerates them.

Today demoralization and lack of self - confidence prevents many people from rejoicing over communist movement's victories. They fear to face bitter disappointments. However, if we let us be dominated by fear of failure, we will never launch in any enterprise, and nothing new will ever happen. We have to rejoice of our victories and become able to prevent new defeats and conquer new victories. We can do it: Maoism showed us the reasons of past defeats and gave us means for starting a new advance. So we have to start up all what we are able to do for making the victory conquered in Nepal be a step for even greater victories, even if we cannot be sure that Nepali democratic revolution could advance from one victory to another, lead to socialism and merge to the second wave of victorious proletarian revolution. After all, this mainly depends on Nepali Communists and popular masses. Nepali democratic revolution has many enemies within Nepal and out of it. At every step on the revolution will do, they have to fid the right line to be followed, and this line will have to prevail against contestations and misunderstandings that will hinder it within the revolutionary forces and the Communist Party themselves.

Every truth asserts itself little by little, struggling against errors. We understand every new phenomenon only gradually, because we have to overcome rooted prejudices ad habits, and the influence of the old ruling classes can be limited and controlled, but it will completely vanish only when those old classes will vanish. The more we know the risks we run, the more we will avoid them and advance from one victory to another. We never have to get discouraged because of possible defeats.

2. Many Communists, or many people who believe to be or honesty try to be Communist, are hostile to Maoism. Dogmatism is an epidemic still diffused in the communist movement. Many comrades are against the modern revisionism because of the defeats and the decay it brought in the communist movement. They put the fault of the coming of revisionism down to this or that leader. They simply desire to return to the past.

They do not realize that the reasons why the revisionists have been able to impose their stupid and stale theories and to take the leadership of the communist movement are the weak points the communist movement had. It is not enough to deny the stupid and old theories of modern revisionists (Khruschev, Togliatti and Berlinguer, Thorez, Tito, Deng Xiaoping , etc.). Our fathers believed their ruinous theses because they did not have answers fit for the tasks they had to face. (…) Who has found the truths our fathers did not find, has to assert them.

The victory of a Party founded on Marxism Leninism Maoism annoyed dogmatists. Actually, this fact weakens their old certainties, questions their prejudices, shakes their authority but, on the other side, by it they could see new bright horizons. They must ask themselves: "what kind of communist concept is this one that prevents us from joining the celebration of the victories the Nepali Communists got in their country?

3.Finally,there are people in the communist movement who turn up their noses because the revolution ongoing in Nepal is a democratic revolution and therefore does not establish socialism, even if a communist party leads it. They are the reverse of the medal (medal that is the "misunderstanding of the laws of development of modern society that Marxism taught") of those who launch enthusiastic but stupid hurrahs to socialist revolution in Nepal, hiding from themselves and from the public that it is a revolution of new democracy (democratic revolution led by a communist party).

Marxism teaches that, in order to establish socialism, there need determinate objective (practical, material, related to the development of productive forces and to the class composition of the population) conditions and determinate subjective (intellectual, moral, organizational) conditions of the working class. It clearly indicated in detail the ones and the others. Anarchists and Trotskyites do not take account of this Marxist teaching; on the contrary, they openly deny it. Also because of it, in the revolutions of our era, they had no important political role or had a negative role. The followers of economism, in their turn, confuse the struggle for establishing socialism with claiming struggles.

Now, there is no doubt that in Nepal there is a lot of claiming struggles. Therefore, the followers of economism are indignant because the communist party does not establish socialism. Or, on the other hand, they shout hurrah for socialism, even if the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) clearly supports the development of mercantile economy, the alliance among the popular masses on the base of democracy, the pluripartitism, so as it is rightly steady in the struggle against monarchy, caste system, women and national minorities' oppression and other feudal customs, and against Indian and US imperialists' interference. In contemporary society, socialism is the emancipation of people's masses led by the working class from imperialist bourgeoisie and from the other reactionary forces and from every class oppression. In its turn, only workers themselves can do workers' emancipation.

A strong democratic spirit on a wide scale animates Nepali people's masses, but they are still distant from communism. Class contradictions in a modern sense (that is, between bourgeoisie and proletariat) are still little developed among democratic Nepali people's masses. In Nepal , workers are not yet a class clearly distinct from the other classes of people's masses. Even less they are a conscious and organized class, prepared and educated to socialism by an open class struggle against the bourgeoisie and therefore able to take power in their hands and lead the other people's masses to go step by step towards communism. Besides, the present international conditions will not help to carry out such a task. Talking about an immediate establishment of socialism in such conditions would be nonsense or a swindle. Therefore, rightly the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) struggles for drive democratic revolution to success.

The condition for socialist revolution will come only in the context of a successful democratic revolution. The pacific or armed aggressions by imperialists, Nepali bourgeoisie's servile behaviour toward imperialism (that will rapidly develop in the new situation) and the conscious work of Nepali Communist Party (Maoist) will rapidly educate Nepali working class (who itself will rapidly develop in new democratic conditions) to become leading class.

In the imperialist era, the democratic revolution directed by the communist party is not yet the socialist revolution, but opens the way to socialist revolution. This is the ABC of Lenin's teaching. Mao developed in a chapter apart of the communist thought, the chapter of the revolution of new democracy.

Because of all these reasons, we Communists must bring among the popular masses of our country the news and the joy for the victory of democratic revolution in Nepal . Besides, we can and must use what happens in Nepal for strengthening the subjective conditions for socialist revolution in our country.

In fact, thanks the assimilation of Marxism - Leninism - Maoism and its application in revolutionary people's war the thousands trickles of the resistance that people's masses are raising against the advancement of the general crisis of capitalism will flow together in the river of socialist revolution. It will sweep away the present social order with its Pope, it will make Italy a new socialist country and will contribute to the victory and the development of the revolutions of new democracy till the transformation in socialist revolutions.

Maoist chairman Prachanda has said the "unholy and unnatural alliance" of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) could put the peace process at stake.

Speaking to reporters at the CPN-M's parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar Sunday afternoon, Dahal said that implementation of the 12-point agreement, and the constitution-making process would be seriously hampered if the new alliance sustained.

He also said his party has urged the parties to break the alliance, and that dialogue with the UML had already been initiated for this.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

KATHMANDU, July 19 (Xinhua) -- No Nepali president candidate won simple majority support from Constituent Assembly (CA) members in Saturday's elections, local TV channel Avenues reported.

However, the vice president candidate from the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) Parmananda Jha has won over half seats. He will be the first vice president of the youngest republic in the world.

According to the report, Ram Baran Yadav proposed by the Nepali Congress bagged 294 seats which was 4 seats less to get simple majority support, while Ram Raja Prasad Singh proposed by the single largest party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) for presidential post, won 283 CA members' support.

The report also said the election committee of the CA was recounting the votes and results were expected to be formally declared later on Saturday.

Friday, July 18, 2008

After holding meeting with Maoist leaders, coordinator of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) Upendra Yadav told reporters that his party will support Singh's candidature only if the Maoists withdraw their vice presidential candidate Shanta Shrestha in favour of MJF candidate Parmananda Jha.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

"We have decided to support Ramraja Singh because he is a Madheshi candidate and we have always been saying we will vote for someone who represents our cause," said Jayaprakash Gupta of Madheshi People's Rights Forum.

The four parties supporting Singh have more than half the total number of seats required for him to be elected president.

Ram Raja Prasad Singh is a veteran Republican. He was chairman of the Nepal Janabadi Morcha (Nepal Democratic Front) a leftwing political movement in Nepal. The group was founded in 1976, and worked clandestinely during the panchayat regime, and its chairman Ram Raja Prasad Singh lived in exile in India. After the successful Constituent Assembly election in April 2008, Ram Raja Prasad Singh was proposed by the CPN(M) as a candidate to become the first president of the Federal Republic of Nepal.

Parties fail to pick common presidential candidate; frontrunners are three Madhesis

With discussions among the parties for a common presidential candidate going nowhere, the three major parties - CPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) - have come up with their own candidates for the posts of president and vice-president. What's common about their proposals is that all three presidential candidates are Madhesis.

While the Maoists have proposed Ram Raja Prasad Singh and Shanta Shrestha as the candidates for president and vice-president respectively the CPN (UML) has named Ramprit Paswan as the presidential candidate. Likewise, the UML has nominated its central leader Astha Laxmi Shakya as the candidate of vice-president.

An informal meeting of the Maoists decided to back Singh for the presidency, as several rounds of talks with the CPN (UML) to pick up a common candidate proved futile.

"We have proposed Ramraja Prasad Singh as the presidential candidate and our proposal is final," Maoist chairman Prachanda' told reporters after the meeting, adding, "We are optimistic that Madhesi parties will back him."

Following the CPN-M's decision, a meeting of UML leaders came up its own nominees for the top posts.

Some UML leader reacted sharply to the Maoist proposal, saying that the Maoists betrayed them at the last minute even after assuring to support a UML candidate.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress has named its general secretary Dr Ram Baran Yadav and central member Min Bahadur Bishwokarma as the candidates for president and vice-president respectively.

An emergency meeting of the central working committee of the party proposed the names. Prime Minister and party president Girija Prasad Koirala was also present during the meeting.

In the thick of this all, three prominent Madhesi parties - Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party and Sadbhwana Party - are yet to decided on the presidential nominee.

After failing to reach consensus on presidential candidate between the two parties, an internal meeting of the Maoist meeting on Thursday morning decided to support the candidature of Singh for the post.

The Maoists who had earlier agreed to share the post with the UML disagreed with the name of Madhav Kumar Nepal saying the candidate should be either Terai based, a woman or a Janajati.

After the Maoists decided to support Singh's candidature, UML has called an emergency meeting of the central committee to discuss the matter.

However, Maoist leaders said they would further discuss the issue with other parties. Party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' told reporters after the meeting that his party hoped votes from Terai based parties on the candidature of Singh.

On the other hand, leaders of Nepali Congress have also mulled over party's candidate. NC leaders are likely to propose chairman of Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) Mahanta Thakur as presidential candidate.

The Nepali people have lost a great deal because of the obstacles created by the Nepali Congress (NC) during these last two and a half months: the selection of a President and Prime Minister, the initiation of drafting the new constitution, the budget for the coming fiscal year have all been disrupted and delayed.

The lust for power of the NC has betrayed the aspirations of the Nepali people; moreover it is giving a very negative and confusing message to the international community. As a result, the Sri Lankan foreign minister had to invite both GP Koirala, who has declared his resignation from the post of Prime Minister as well as the Maoist Chairman, Prachanda, the likely future Prime Minister, for the 15th SAARC summit.

After losing the election, the NC started obstructing the political process by putting forward a seven point demands. Later, while some of the demands were met, the NC leaders started to add more demands. Furthermore, they demanded that the leader of opposition should be in the Security Council; this does not exist anywhere in the world. The main purpose of all these conditions was to prevent the Maoists coming to power. But with time, the true intentions of the NC had come to light.

However, the attempts of the NC have burst like bubbles; GP Koirala had to declare resignation. But, just as he resigned, the Madhesi leaders started disrupting the CA meeting. This is no coincidence. The NC and the Madhesi leaders had a private meeting a few days before the announcement of GP Koirala’s resignation.

The Nepal Congress pretends it is a democratic party; if so, it should accept defeat and step aside and let the victorious Maoist form the new government. To be so greedy for power is to ridicule democracy. The NC has been punished by the people; it is not in a position to peach about democracy to anyone else. The NC should look in the mirror, and ask itself about its own democratic credentials. Who are the NC to tell the Maoist what to do and what not to do?

The undemocratic character and obstinacy of the NC has almost broken the consensual political tradition that started two and half years ago with the signing of 12-point agreement. By putting forward its seven point demands, even after being defeated in the CA election, the NC has breached the 12-point agreement. In this way, the NC has effectively replaced the Monarchy. The NC, with the backing of expansionist and the assistance of so-called Madhesi leaders is trying to ambush the patriotic, democratic and leftist forces along with the Maoist. The real democratic, progressive and leftist forces have two options; either to surrender or prepare to fight for a pro-people and independent Republic. Only the second option can save revolution and national sovereignty.

Even as the major parties are scrambling to name a presidential candidate, the Constituent Assembly (CA) has fixed July 19 (Saturday) as the date for election of the first president of republican Nepal.

The CA procedures advisory committee fixed the date for the presidential election which will be conducted through secret vote. Today's meeting of the CA is to approve the procedures of the election.

The committee's decision comes at a time when major parties have failed arrive at a consensus on the presidential candidate despite holding series of bilateral and multilateral discussions.

Earlier today, a meeting between top leaders of CPN (Maoist) and CPN (UML) over the issue ended inconclusively. The Maoists are said to have become ready to give the post to the UML, but they rejected the UML's proposal to nominate its former general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal for the top job.

The Maoists have been saying, from the very beginning, that they won't back Nepal or Girija Prasad Koirala for the presidency.

The bi-party discussion between the UML and the Maoists meant to finalise the name of the coutry's first president Tuesday morning ended without any conclusion.

The meeting held at the parliamentary party office of UML at Singh Durbar failed to find consensus to name a president though they had agreed to share the posts of president, prime minister and chairman of the constituent assembly, among the three big parties.

UML has proposed its former general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal for the job but the Maoist leaders have rejected his name. The Maoists have also opposed the Nepali Congress proposal to elect Girija Prasad Koirala as the president.

Earlier, agreement between these two parties was for UML to have president and Maoists to have their prime minister while the position of CA chairman was left for Nepali Congress.

Maoist leaders are also scheduled to hold talks with NC leaders Tuesday on the power sharing issues.

In the meantime, the constituent assembly sitting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon is likely to finalise the procedures for electing president, vice president, CA chairman, deputy chairman and prime minister

Monday, July 14, 2008

Top leaders of CPN (Maoist) and CPN (UML) have reached an understanding to name the first president and vice-president of the country within the next of couple of days.

UML general secretary Jhal Nath Khanal told reporters after a meeting with Maoist leaders at the residence of Maoist chairman Prachanda in Nayabazaar Monday morning that the two parties also concluded that the new government should be formed as early as possible.

However, Khanal refused to speak on the understanding reportedly reached between the two parties on the presidential candidate.

The two parties have comer closer after the Maoists rejected the Nepali Congress's proposal to make Girija Prasad Koirala the first president.

UML had internally proposed the name of its former general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal to which Maoist leaders have not given their consent saying Nepal lost polls from two places.

Maoist leader and local development minister Dev Gurung has said that ethnicity-based federalism is the appropriate way to solve the problems facing the country.

Stating that the zonal administrative structure introduced by late King Mahindra was against the aspirations of different communities, Gurung said federal structure based on geography will simply not work.

Talking to Nepalnews on Sunday, the Maoist leader also claimed that ethnicity-based federalism is necessary for harmony and unity among different communities.

He said, "The demand for single Madhes province is irrelevant in the present context because it infringes upon the rights of indigenous groups in Terai, and will give rise to monopoly of some groups there."

Mentioning that his party has proposed 13 states and different sub-states, Gurung said the states should be given autonomy while certain rights related to defence, foreign policy and monitory policy should be with the central government.

According to him, big power projects and highways should be controlled by the central government while the states can devise their development plans on their own.

The Swiss model of federal system is more applicable in our country than any other model, he added.

Stating that national integrity is facing threat, Gurung stressed on the unity among all the nationalist forces to save the sovereignty of the nation

Kathmandu, July 13: A top Communist leader in Nepal has accused the terai-based Madhesi leaders of following in the footsteps of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah and LTTE chief Prabhakaran of Sri Lanka as lawmakers began discussions on a key amendment for incorporating greater autonomy for the plains bordering India.

Ramchandra Jha, central committee member of Nepal Communist Party-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) alleged that the Madhesi leaders, whose main demand is to declare Madhes a 'single autonomous region', are following in the footsteps of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who divided the Indian subcontinent on the basis of religion.

The Madhesi parties, who disrupted the proceedings in the Constituent Assembly for 12 days, want terai as a separate state based on the principle of 'one Madhes one region' in an attempt to implement the two nation theory in Nepal, Jha said in an article entitled 'the dream to become Prabhakaran and Jinnah' in the weekly Nepal, a sister publication of the Kathmandu Post.

Jha, who is also chief whip of the CPN-UML, said the majority of the people residing in the southern plains prefer to have multiple region in terai.

Meanwhile, lawmakers from the Madhesi parties boycotted the house meeting, claiming their demands were not addressed fully in the new constitution amendment bill tabled today.

The Madhesi parties are demanding a 'single autonomous region' for the community living in the plains while the government's amendment proposal has used the word "autonomous regions for Madhesi, indigenous ethnic communities and people of backward region".

The Madhesi parties have been pressing for incorporating their two key demands -- declaring terai an autonomous region and recruitment of Madhesis in Nepal Army on proportionate basis, while amending the constitut

Security experts, political leaders, advocates and human rights activists have asked the government to take stringent action against the Nepal Police officials who have staged a revolt in Nepalgunj, holding senior officers hostage.

They also stressed the need to take action against senior police officers if they were found exploiting the lower level police personnel.

Speaking at the Reporters' Club on Sunday, deputy commander of the Maoists' People's Liberation Army Janardhan Sharma 'Prabhakar' said action should be taken from the commander level for his failure to keep appropriate environment to prevent the revolt.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

The sentral secretariat of CPN (Maoist) today decided to seek political consensus on allocation of powerful positions, including the president, vice-president and the chair of the Constituent Assembly.

"We have decided to allocate the posts in a manner that will satisfy all," Maoist chairman Prachanda told reporters after the six-hour long meeting held at a resort in Dhulikhel, Kavre district. He, however, didn't explain how the positions were being shared among the parties.

The Maoist Chairman added that the party would seek consensus with other parties on the proposed amendment in the constitution and the structure of the new government.

He also informed that efforts were being made to form a coalition government by mid-July.

According to Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the Maoist party favours an independent civil society personality, like a former Chief Justice, or somebody from the indigenous communities, to become the first president.

Mahara also informed that the meeting did not pick up the names of party leaders who join the cabinet likely to be led by the party chairman.

All 11-members of the Central secretariat were present at the meeting held under tight security presence.

The meeting of the Central Secretariat of CPN (Maoist) has started at a resort in Kavre to decide the allocation of portfolios in the upcoming government and devise the strategies of the party.

Party sources said the secretariat meeting going on at Mirabell Resort, Dhulikhel, will discuss the role of the party in the government, and the possibility of involving other parties in the coalition government.

Party chairman Prachanda' told reporters before the beginning of the meeting that 11-member secretariat team has agendas such as election of the president, formation of new government, amendment of the interim constitution and smooth functioning of the Constituent Assembly proceedings.

The party is likely to finalise the names joining the new government, possibly to be led by the party supremo.

Huge number of security personnel - including that of People's Liberation Army (PLA) men -- have been deployed for the security during the meeting

Prachanda had earlier expressed hope to form a new government by Sunday evening.

Similarly, the Nepali Congress also has called its parliamentary party meeting at Baluwatar later today to discuss the changed political scenario.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Maoist chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has warned that Nepal could head towards disintegration if it does not stick to the path of consensus politics to prevent such catastrophe.

Speaking at the special press meet organised by the Reporters' Club on Friday, he said attempts were being made to paint the ethnic issues with communal colour to disintegrate the country.

He accused 'regressive elements and foreign forces who claim to be strong democrats' for fanning the communal fire especially in the southern belt.

He expressed dissatisfaction at the remarks the leaders of the Madhes-based parties recently made at the Constituent Assembly (CA) saying they were disintegration-oriented.

He emphasised that the political parties should work together until the new constitution is written. "But, the consensus should not be achieved on the basis of giving certain post to a certain person," he said.

He also stressed that the post of president and chairman of CA should not become a component of power sharing. "Power sharing means sharing of ministerial posts," he said.

At the half-hour long meeting held in Baluwatar, the Maoist Chairman is said to have emphasised that the parties needed to give continuity to coalition culture, and that the Nepali Congress should be part of the new government.

The two also discussed the Madhesi parties' position over the constitution amendment bill introduced by the government in the Constituent Assembly.

Senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Home Minister Krishna Situala were also present at the meeting.

Yesterday, following the signing of the seven-party agreement on Madhesi demands, Prachanda said the new government, likely to be led by him, would be in place within a week.

Speaking to journalists earlier today he said efforts were on to form a coalition government. He also said he was hopeful of some Madhesi parties joining the government

Kathmandu, July 10 (ANI): The Nepal Government has handed over a letter formally requesting the extension of the term of United Nation Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) by six more months to the UN Secretary General.

According to Nepalnews, deputy chief of the Nepal's permanent mission at the UN headquarters in New York, Madhuban Poudedl handed over the letter requesting extension of mission's term extension for the continuity of peace process.

Poudel said that the UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon will submit the letter to the Security Council around the second week of July and it is expected to be approved immediately.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF RED STAR - LINK ON THE RIGHT OF THIS PAGE UNDER COMRADES AND FRIENDS - THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE BELOW "NEPALI DEMOCRATS AND THE FIG LEAF OF DEMOCRACY" IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE QUALITY OF THE ANALYSIS IN RED STAR.

There is a saying: ‘ a political death is several times more merciless than a real death’. If there is any one who has suffered from political death, it is Girija Prasad Koirala and his feudal autocracy. According to the general norms of democracy, after an electoral defeat, the defeated party must leave the government and allow the largest party to form a new government. But GP Koirala has ignored and mocked such norms and values, and stayed in power without any political legitimacy. This exposes the true nature of Nepalese democracy-it is in fact is a feudal and comprador autocracy and a bourgeoisie dictatorship. If GP Koirala really abided by the democracy he advocates, he would have resigned long ago and let the new government be formed.

Giraja’s recent comments ‘Minus Girija’, ‘confusion in the international community’ and ‘wondering elsewhere’ and ultimately ‘arriving to the parliament to declare resignation’ portray many meanings. The meaning is: if there was no confusion in the international community, or if he was not wondering elsewhere instead of coming to the Constituent Assembly, Girija would have submitted resignation right after the defeat in the election. Does a sovereign nation depend on the ‘clarity’ or ‘confusion’ of the international community even after a political process has been decided? Can the people of that country realise self-respect, who have a leader, but roaming aimless unless instruction comes from outside? This is what a real character of the Nepalese democracy and its democrats. Again the Nepalese messiahs of democracy are never tired to deliver lectures as if they are the number one democrats or even a pioneer of the kind of democracy, ironically, which can never move unless it is moved from outside.

There are many examples of how leaders respect their own democracy. In India, Sonia Gandhi gave up the post of Prime Minister. Similarly, in the United States of America, Hillary Clinton has now given her support to her Democratic Party rival Barrack Obama. Contrary to these examples, Nepali democrats are sticking to their posts even after suffering defeat. And, even after declaring his resignation, GP Koirala is provoking a disastrous agenda that may split the country, as has happened in Korea, Vietnam, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, the former Yugoslavia and the former USSR. This is the true intention behind the slogan ‘one Madhes, one Pradhes’.

Where are the real stakes in this political process? The seven point agenda that the NC has put forward were not the milestone to depart from the seven party alliance, SPA, this case had occurred many times in the past. But these seven points are quite crucial because the general political orientation of the 12 point agreement was almost over along with the deposition of monarchy and having the Federal Republic of Nepal brought into being. And the struggle over state and democracy has so intensified in these two months, and taken Nepalese society to a new height. By which the validity of the democratic republic has now weathered away for the both: to the Maoist as well as to the parliamentary parties. Hence, the necessity of the New Democratic Republic has emerged up for the Maoist and the necessity of social fascism has emerged up for the parliamentarian parties. Any confusion on this question will lead to political disaster, not only for the political transformation of the Nepalese society, but also for the interest of the national integrity and sovereignty.

The NC blames the Maoists for not respecting democratic norms. But history has shown again and again that it is not the communists but the capitalists who violate norms and values. Isn’t it the Maoist party that supported the Congress government by supporting the two third majority provisions in the constitution to remove the prime minister or to change government? Has our party ever tried to remove Girija from the post, even though there were many complaints from the UML over this constitutional provision? Isn’t this enough evidence for any one that it is only the CPN(M) that has truly valued the established norms and values? Fundamentally, this so called democracy is nothing but bourgeois dictatorship. This bourgeoisie dictatorship does not and cannot tolerate anything that is in the interest of the masses of the people and is against the feudalists and autocrats. This is one fact, which is enough to prove how hollow the dictum of democracy is and why it is the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. As long as Girija was in power every thing was fine for him as well as for the Congress. The moment the election results kicked them out of power, they moved against the mandate of the people. Now it is very clear to all, that the democracy of the Nepalese democrats is nothing but a fig leaf to hide their undemocratic character and their class dictatorship.

Once again, what are the real political stakes? The outstanding contradictions are whether Nepalese society should go forward or not; whether the Nepalese people are sovereign or not; whether Nepalese society can be restructured or not; whether the Nepalese economy can be re- organized or not? This issue is linked with three major factors that are related to the changes in Nepalese society. Those issues are: the NC does not want the Nepal Army to be democratized to serve the Nepali people.; the NC does not want to abolish the feudal mode of production and reorganize the Nepalese economy; the NC does not want to restructure Nepalese society into national and regional autonomous republics according to the principal of the nation to the right of self determination. So the real question is whether the Maoist should be allowed to form a government and write a new constitution that has to be written two years from the CA election.

Regarding federalism and autonomous states, it is important to understand the meaning, definition as well as the scientific methodology to resolve oppression of one nation by another. Lenin said:

The right of nations to self-determination means only the right to independence in a political sense, the right to free, political secession from the oppressing nation. Concretely, this political, democratic demand implies complete freedom to carry on agitation in favour of secession, and freedom to settle the question of secession by means of a referendum of the nation that desires to secede. Consequently, this demand is by no means identical with the demand for secession, for partition, for the formation of small states.

If the parliamentarians are to respect the right of nations to self determination, they must respect the Tharuwan, Kochila, Mithila and Bhojpura peoples through equality, freedom and the right to self determination. Instead, the demand of the parliamentary parties is not for establishing freedom for the oppressed masses of people, rather it is a demand to establish a set of feudal lords, bandits and looters in every state. Their conception is not designed to end oppression but to promote national chauvinism and autocratic feudalism. Why is the slogan ‘one Madhesh one Pradesh’? Has the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) ever put forward slogans such as ‘one Pahad, one Pradesh’? This is not a political solution. In fact, the federation of autonomous republics relates to a tactical question to shatter the chains of bourgeoisie exploitation and allow the masses to develop politically, economically, and culturally by creating equality for the people. By this process, national and regional chauvinism and oppression will be abolished, and the conditions will be developed so that all the national and regional barriers will be demolished.

But this kind of society, which is radically different from an exploitative bourgeois society, cannot be established unless the old one is smashed. Marx pointed out in 1871 that “the proletariat cannot simply lay hold of the ready-made (that is, the bourgeois) state machine and wield it for its own purpose, that it must smash it, break it up.” As Marx said, as long as the old state still exists, it will try and stop the people establishing a new state.

{writer is a central committee member of communist party of Nepal (Maoist)}